Police fire water cannon at protestors
2013-02-08 14:54
Thiruvananthapuram - Riot police fired water cannon on Friday
at hundreds of protestors in the Indian state of Kerala demanding the
resignation of a lawmaker over allegations he raped a schoolgirl 17 years ago.
P J Kurien, 72, the deputy speaker of the state's upper
house, was acquitted of rape in a trial in 2005 but he has come under new
pressure after his accuser demanded a fresh probe in the wake of the storm over
a deadly gang rape in Delhi in December.
The resurrection of the allegations has embarrassed the
ruling Congress party, which promised to get tough on sex attackers in the wake
of the Delhi gang rape.
Demonstrators have been camped outside the state assembly
for the last five days to demand Kurien's resignation, and managed to stall
proceedings by preventing local lawmakers from entering the building.
"It's a disgrace for India and the women of this
country that Kurien can chair a debate on laws to protect women," V S
Achuthanandan, Kerala's veteran Communist party leader, told AFP.
The alleged victim's mother has written to Congress
leader Sonia Gandhi to urge her to sack Kurien, who has been a lawmaker in
Kerala for the last 19 years.
Kurien says the accusations are part of a
politically-driven media smear campaign.
"I've been exonerated by the Supreme Court and
acquitted after three police investigations," Kurien said.
Meanwhile, in the capital New Delhi, a judge on Friday
summoned a federal lawmaker over allegations that he ordered the abduction of a
minor who was later raped.
Mahabal Mishra, who is a Congress representative, has
ignored a previous summons.
His office said that Mishra was in Allahabad where the
Maha Kumbh Mela - a massive religious festival on the banks of the Ganges -is
taking place.
- SAPA
